Eugene Luther Gore Vidal (October 3, 1925 – July 31, 2012) was a liberal American author, playwright, essayist, screenwriter, and political activist. His third novel, The City and the Pillar (1948), outraged conservative critics as one of the first major American novels to feature unambiguous homosexuality. He also ran for political office twice and was a longtime political critic.

The New York Times described him as being in his old age "an Augustan figure who believed himself to be the last of a breed, and he was probably right. Few American writers have been more versatile or gotten more mileage from their talent." The Los Angeles Times described him as a "literary juggernaut" whose novels and essays were considered "among the most elegant in the English language". The Washington Post remembered him as a "major writer of the modern era" and an "astonishingly versatile man of letters". Popular Spanish publication Ideal reported Vidal's death as a loss to the "culture of the United States" and described him as a "Huge American novelist and essayist". The Italian La Corriere described him as "the enfant terrible of American culture" and said that he was "one of the giants of American literature". French paper Le Figaro described him as "the Killjoy of America" but also said that he was an "outstanding polemicist" and that he used phrases "like high precision weapons."

Gore Vidal cause of deathGore Vidal died at his home in Hollywood Hills, California, of complications from pneumonia. Gore Vidal was 86 years old at the time of his death

Norman Alden (September 13, 1924 – July 27, 2012) was an American character actor who has performed in television programs and motion pictures since first appearing on The 20th Century Fox Hour in 1957. He provided the voice of Kay in The Sword in the Stone film in 1963 and received Oscar buzz for his role in I Never Promised You a Rose Garden. His acting career began in 1957 and lasted nearly 50 years; he finally retired in 2006 at the age of 82.

He portrayed Coach Leroy Fedder in the 1970s television series Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, Johnny Ringo in the 1955 western and The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp. He also voiced the ringmaster, Hank, on the animated television series, Devlin. He also played the lead in the film Andy.

Other roles that he has portrayed include Major Truman Landon in Tora! Tora! Tora!. He provided the voice of Kranix in the 1986 film Transformers: The Movie. He was in one episode of Dallas as Senator William Orloff. In Season 1 of The Dukes of Hazzard he played the part of Sheriff Lacey of Springville in the episode "Deputy Dukes"; he returned to the role in the second season episode "The Ghost of General Lee". He appeared as Lou Caruthers, the owner of the coffee shop in Back to the Future and the color-blind cameraman Bill in Ed Wood. He could also be seen in the episode of Murder She Wrote "'Keep The Homefries Burning" in 1986. In the 1970 roller derby movie Kansas City Bomber starring Raquel Welch, Kevin McCarthy and Helena Kallianiotes he plays the part of Horrible Hank Hopkins who has an unrequited love interest in K.C. Carr, played by Raquel Welch.

Norman Alden cause of deathNorman Alden died from natural causes in his Los Angeles, California home. He is survived by his wife of 46 years, Sharon Hayden.Norman Alden was 87 years old at the time of his death.

Tony Martin (December 25, 1913 – July 27, 2012) was an American actor and singer who was married to performer Cyd Charisse for 60 years.

He cut 25 records in 1946 and 1947 for Mercury, including a 1946 recording of "To Each His Own" which became a million-seller. This prompted RCA Victor records to offer him a contract, which he signed in 1947 after satisfying his contract obligations to Mercury.

Tony Martin cause of deathTony Martin died of natural causes.Tony Martin was 98 years old at the time of his death.

July 26th

Darryl Cotton (September 4, 1949 – July 27, 2012) was an Australian pop singer, television presenter and actor, but was best known as a founding member of Australian rock group Zoot in 1968, along with Beeb Birtles, Rick Brewer and, later, Rick Springfield.

Following Zoot, Cotton ventured overseas, basing himself in Los Angeles where he worked consistently as a singer/songwriter and performing with such artists as Olivia Newton-John, The Osmonds, Shaun Cassidy and Cliff Richard. His songwriting credits include Donny Osmond & Marie Osmond, Engelbert Humperdinck and The New Seekers.

Darryl Cotton cause of deathDarryl Cotton was diagnosed with liver cancer in June 2012 (One Month before his death)Darryl Cotton was 62 years old at the time of his death

July 24th

Larry Hoppen ( - died July 24, 2012) was a co-founder of the 1970s pop-rock group Orleans. He sang including "Still the One" and "Dance With Me"

Larry Hoppen cause of deathLarry Hoppen's cause of death is not known yet.Larry Hoppen was 61 years old at the time of his death.

Orleans is an American pop-rock band best known for its hits "Dance with Me" (1975), "Still the One", from the album Waking and Dreaming (1976) and "Love Takes Time" (1979). The group's name evolved from the music it was playing at the time of their formation, which was inspired by Louisiana artists such as Allen Toussaint and the Neville Brothers. Orleans was formed in Woodstock, New York in January 1972 by vocalist/guitarist/songwriter John Hall, vocalist/guitarist Larry Hoppen and drummer/percussionist Wells Kelly. In October of that year, the group expanded to include Larry's younger brother, Lance, on bass. Drummer Jerry Marotta joined in 1976, completing the quintet.

Raymon Lee Cramton or Chad Everett (June 11, 1937 – July 24, 2012) was an American actor who appeared in over 40 films and television series.

He was probably best known for his role as Dr. Joe Gannon in the 1970s television drama Medical Center.

Since then, he has appeared in numerous films and television series including Centennial, Hagen, Airplane II: The Sequel, Star Command, and Mulholland Drive. He has also appeared as a guest star on over 40 television series such as Melrose Place, The Nanny, Touched by an Angel, Diagnosis: Murder, Caroline in the City, Murder, She Wrote, The Red Skelton Show, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., and Route 66.

Chad Everett cause of deathChad Everett died at his home in Los Angeles after a year-and-a-half-long battle with lung cancer.Chad Everett was 75 years old at the time of his death

Sherman Alexander Hemsley (February 1, 1938 - July 24,2012) was an American actor, most famous for his role as George Jefferson on the CBS television series All in the Family and The Jeffersons, and as Deacon Ernest Frye on the NBC series Amen. He also played Earl Sinclair's horrifying boss, a Triceratops named B.P. Richfield, on the Jim Henson sitcom Dinosaurs.

The characters of Hemsley and co-star Isabel Sanford were secondary on All in the Family, but were given their own spin-off series, The Jeffersons, less than two years after Hemsley made his debut on the show. The Jeffersons ran 11 seasons through 1985.

Sherman Hemsley cause of deathSherman Hemsley dies in his home in El Paso, Texas. Cause of death is not known.Sherman Hemsley was 74 years old a the time of his death.

July 22nd

Boyish, diffident, fair-haired British actor who, after a few small roles, wes thrust into the limelight as Winston Churchill, Not surprisingly, that proved a hard act to follow, and Ward was not exactly charismatic. But to his credit, he continued to graft away in top supporting and minor leading roles in films until the mid-1980s. Father of actress Sophie Ward.

Fred Willard (born September 18, 1939, 72 years old) is an American actor, comedian, and voice over actor, best known for his improvisational comedy skills. He is known for his roles in the Christopher Guest mockumentary films This is Spinal Tap, Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, A Mighty Wind, and For Your Consideration as well as television series D.C. Follies. He is an alumnus of The Second City comedy troupe. He received three Emmy nominations for his recurring role on the TV series Everybody Loves Raymond as Robert Barone's father-in-law, Hank MacDougall. In 2010, he received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for his role on the ABC TV series Modern Family as Phil Dunphy's father, Frank Dunphy.

July 17th

Ramona Parker (1969 – July 17, 2012), known as Ms. Melodie, was an emcee married to KRS-One in July 1987, and was associated with his group Boogie Down Productions (BDP) until the couple's divorce in 1992. She was raised in the Flatbush section of the New York City borough of Brooklyn.

Her first release was the 1988 12-inch single "Hype According to Ms. Melodie", which, like most of her records, was produced by KRS-One. While they began recording her debut album, Ms. Melodie and the rest of BDP appeared in the Keenen Ivory Wayans film I'm Gonna Git You Sucka. Her only album, Diva, would be released the following year by Jive/RCA Records and was largely produced by KRS-One, with contributions from Sam Sever and the Awesome 2's DJ Teddy Tedd. The single "Wake Up, Wake Up" reached the Top 20 of Billboard's Hot Rap Singles chart; the music video to its follow-up single "Live on Stage" was a hit on video stations. She is the older sister of former BDP member Harmony.

Ms. Melodie Cause of deathAccording to news reports, she died on July 17, 2012. The cause of death is unknown. Ms. Melodie was 43 years old at the time of her death.

Kitty Wells (August 30, 1919 – July 16, 2012), born Ellen Muriel Deason, was an American country music singer. Her 1952 hit recording, "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels", made her the first female country singer to top the U.S. country charts, and turned her into the first female country star. Her Top 10 hits continued until the mid-1960s, inspiring a long list of female country singers who came to prominence in the 1960s.

Wells ranks as the sixth most successful female vocalist in the history of Billboard's country charts, according to historian Joel Whitburn's book The Top 40 Country Hits, behind Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, Reba McEntire, Tammy Wynette, and Tanya Tucker. In 1976, she was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame and is currently its oldest living member. In 1991, she became the third country music artist, after Roy Acuff and Hank Williams, and the eighth woman to receive the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Wells' accomplishments earned her the nickname The Queen of Country Music.

Kitty Wells cause of deathKitty Wells died from complications after a stroke.Kitty Wells was 92 years old at the time of her death

Jonathan Douglas "Jon" Lord D.M. (9 June 1941 – 16 July 2012) was an English composer, pianist and Hammond organ player known for his pioneering work in fusing rock and classical or baroque forms, especially with Deep Purple, besides Whitesnake, Paice, Ashton & Lord, The Artwoods and Flower Pot Men.

In 1968, Lord founded Deep Purple, where he was virtually the leader of the band until 1970. In addition, Lord wrote the organ riff on "Child in Time".

Jon Lord cause of deathIn 2012, Lord was diagnosed as suffering from pancreatic cancer, a normally swiftly developing and deadly form of cancer. Lord died on 16 July 2012, surrounded by his family at the London Clinic after suffering a pulmonary embolism.Jon Lord was 71 years old at the time of his death

Celeste Holm (April 29, 1917 – July 15, 2012) was an American stage, film, and television actress, known for her Academy Award-winning performance in Gentleman's Agreement (1947), as well as for her Oscar-nominated performances in Come to the Stable (1949) and All About Eve (1950) and originating the role of Ado Annie in the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Oklahoma! (1943).

Celeste Holm cause of deathCeleste Holm died of heart attack. Celeste Holm was 95 years old at the time of her death.

In June 2012, Holm was admitted to New York's Roosevelt Hospital with dehydration after a fire in Robert De Niro's apartment in the same Manhattan building. She suffered a heart attack on July 13 in the facility, dying at home on July 15, where she chose to spend her final days. She is survived by husband Frank Basile and her sons.

According to her husband, Holm had been treated for memory loss since 2002, suffered skin cancer, bleeding ulcers and a collapsed lung, and had hip replacements and pacemakers.

July 13th

On July 13, 2012 Michael Clarke Duncan (54) was sent to the hospital after suffering from a heart attack. Omarosa (38), Michael Duncan's girlfriend, found that Duncan had suffered cardiac arrest. She performed CPR and was able to revive him thus saving his life.

Stallone was the son Sylvester Stallone. His uncle was actor/singer Frank Stallone

He made his acting debut alongside his father in the fifth installment of the Rocky franchise titled Rocky V (1990) where he played Robert Balboa, the on-screen son of his father's title character. He also appeared with his father in the 1996 disaster movie Daylight. Since then he has only acted in low profile films.

Sage Stalloone cause of death

Stallone was found dead in his Studio City, Los Angeles home on July 13, 2012, at age 36. Law enforcement stated that he could have been dead for at least three days up to a week. No one had heard from him in days.

On August 30, 2012, the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office announced that Stallone died of atherosclerotic coronary artery disease, which caused a heart attack.

He is interred at Westwood Memorial Park in Los Angeles. Sage Stalloone was 36 years old at the time of his death